Is North Linden the Best Neighborhood for a Starter Home?




Is North Linden the best neighborhood for a starter home in Columbus? For many local residents, when they hear “Linden”, they may only think of negatives such as crime and neighborhood condition. Like many other parts of urban Columbus, the area is changing as development forces and population growth have begun pushing in from all sides, however.

With the Columbus market on fire, supply low and prices skyrocketing due to heavy demand, Linden homes are being looked at with a new perspective. Linden homes are some of the most affordable anywhere in Columbus, and while the neighborhood can be hit or miss to say the least, North Linden has begun to emerge as a destination for first-time home buyers.

Although the southern part of Linden was constructed before WWII, the vast majority of the remaining area was built in the 1950s and 1960s as former soldiers looked to start new lives.
Because of the era in which many of the homes were built, most are single-story ranches or Cape Cod style cottages. The square footage of many of these homes tends to be around 1000 square feet or less. Until recently, the small relative size, among other issues, kept buyers away. The aforementioned tight real-estate market has given these homes potential new life.

North Linden is generally the part of the neighborhood that is to the between I-71 and Cleveland Avenue west to east and between Hudson Avenue and Cooke Road south to north. Let’s take a look at some of the homes currently on the market in this area to get a feel for what is available there.

1541 Genessee Avenue: $25,000
Square Footage: 1,056
This pre-WWII home is an example of many in the area that need some level of renovations- in this home’s case- major renovations. For those willing to take on a challenge, these types of inexpensive purchases could be a consideration.
Best neighborhood for a starter home 1541 Gennessee Avenue

1130 Pauline Avenue: $185,000
Square Footage: 1,412
Built in 1955, this home is much more typical of the housing stock that exists within the neighborhood, but on the larger side. Unlike the home above, this one has been fully renovated and shows the potential of what they can become. This type of home represents the top of the market in terms of price in the neighborhood, showing just how affordable the area really is.
https://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-detail/1130-Pauline-Ave_Columbus_OH_43224_M37110-45745


2587 Azelda Street: $119,900
Square Footage: 1,045
This 1956 home is typical of many in the area. It doesn’t necessarily have a brand new renovation, but has been kept updated and maintained over the years, so it is in great condition for an individual or small family.
https://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-detail/2587-Azelda-St_Columbus_OH_43211_M49757-14142


Beyond the less expensive prices and variety of quality fixer-uppers and renovated starter homes, North Linden is also well-situated near popular areas such as Easton, Clintonville, OSU Campus and the Morse corridor, which is rich in locally-owned restaurants and markets that specialize in foods and products from Asia, Africa and the Middle East.
While there are many positives, some negatives might be higher crime in some spots- particularly closer to Cleveland Avenue- lack of walkability to amenities, and lower ranked schools within the Columbus district. As with any neighborhood, prospective residents must weigh the pros and cons according to their own lifestyles and needs. If one is a current Columbus resident looking to downsize, or a new family to Columbus looking to purchase their first home in an extremely difficult market to break into, North Linden does offer some opportunities that other neighborhoods do not.

The North Linden Area Commission and the
Linden Neighborhood links provide additional news and information on this up and coming area of Columbus.



Housing Market Update February 2021




housing market update February 2021 Columbus, Ohio

Just a week ago, I wrote about the Columbus housing market and how it was performing the past year. I used to do reports like that often, but hadn’t in years. Due to the overwhelmingly positive article response, I have decided to restart these monthly reports. Given the current state of the housing market, such information may be helpful to prospective homebuyers.

These new reports will be a bit more condensed than the one from last week. I will not list every location for every statistic as I did last week. Instead, I will still attempt to offer a general comparative view of the different markets within the region.

So let’s go!

Note: LSD= Local School District, CSD= City School District. In both cases, school district boundaries differ from city boundaries.

Top 15 Most Expensive Locations By Median Sales Price in February 2021
1. New Albany: $657,450
2. New Albany Plain LSD: $580,500
3. German Village: $569,500
4. Bexley: $517,000
5. Dublin: $502,500
6. Upper Arlington CSD: $450,000
7. Olentangy LSD: $434,900
8. Powell: $434,900
9. Granville CSD: $387,450
10. Worthington: $380,000
11. Buckeye Valley LSD: $378,240
12. Dublin CSD: $$360,000
13. Grandview Heights: $355,200
14. Short North: $350,000
15. Big Walnut LSD: $348,730

New Albany and some of the more urban suburbs and neighborhoods continue to be near the top of the pack in terms of price.

Top 15 Least Expensive Locations by Median Sales Price in February 2021
1. Valleyview: $129,850
2. Whitehall: $133,000
3. Newark CSD: $145,000
4. Lancaster CSD: $162,000
5. Hamilton LSD: $170,500
6. Groveport Madison LSD: $186,750
7. Columbus CSD: $194,750
8. Jefferson LSD: $198,500
9. Columbus: $210,000
10. South-Western CSD: $217,500
11. Circleville CSD: $224,000
12. Reynoldsburg CSD: $230,000
13. London CSD: $239,900
14. Obetz: $242,363
15. Blacklick: $245,000

Most of these places are outer suburbs outside of Franklin County or smaller locations that are less known or considered less desirable.

Overall Market Median Sales Price in February 2021: $225,500

Top 15 Locations with the Highest Median Sales Price % Growth Between February 2020 and February 2021
1. Valleyview: +93.8% (Based on just 1 sale)
2. Circleville CSD: +79.2%
3. Buckeye Valley LSD: +71.9%
4. Sunbury: +71.4%
5. Jefferson LSD: +52.8%
6. Reynoldsburg CSD: +44.9%
7. Worthington: +38.2%
8. German Village: +36.1%
9. Obetz: +31.2%
10. Marysville CSD: +29.9%
11. Dublin: +27.8%
12. London CSD: +26.3%
13. Olentangy LSK: +25.0%
14. Pataskala: +25.0%
15. Bexley: +22.7%

Top 15 Locations with the Lowest Median Sales Price % Growth Between February 2020 and February 2021
1. Granville CSD: -7.5%
2. Downtown Columbus: -6.6%
3. Jonathan Alder LSD: -4.5%
4. Grandview Heights: -4.0%
5. Powell: -4.0%
6. Minerva Park: -2.1%
7. Westerville: -0.8%
8. Pickerington: -0.7%
9. Canal Winchester CSD: -0.2%
10. Teays Valley LSD: 0.0%
11. Short North: +0.2%
12. Hamilton LSD: +0.3%
13. Beechwold/Clintonville: +1.3%
14. Pickerington LSD: +1.5%
15. Westerville CSD: +4.0%

Overall Market Median Sales Price % Change February 2021 vs. February 2020: +7.4%

Top 10 Locations with the Most New Listings in February 2021
1. Columbus: 830
2. Columbus CSD: 540
3. South-Western CSD: 135
4. Hilliard CSD: 102
5. Olentangy LSD: 91
6. Westerville CSD: 80
7. Dublin CSD: 73
8. Grove City: 65
9. Gahanna Jefferson CSD: 63
10. Pickerington LSD: 58

Top 10 Locations with the Fewest New Listings in February 2021
1. Valleyview: 0
2. Lithopolis: 1
3. Minerva Park: 1
4. Jonathan Alder LSD: 3
5. Jefferson LSD: 5
6. Sunbury: 5
7. Grandview Heights: 6
8. Obetz: 9
9. Worthington: 10
10. Hamilton LSD: 10
11. German Village: 10

Total New Listings in the Columbus Metro in February 2021: 1,932
Overall Metro New Listings % Change February 2021 vs February 2020: -25.4%

Top 10 Fastest-Selling Locations by # of Days Homes Remain on the Market Before Sale in February 2021
1. Obetz: 4
2. Gahanna: 8
3. Hamilton LSD: 8
4. Johnstown-Monroe LSD: 8
5. Pickerington: 8
6. Groveport Madison LSD: 9
7. Pickerington LSD: 10
8. Canal Winchester CSD: 11
9. Reynoldsburg CSD: 12
10. Gahanna Jefferson CSD: 13
11. Hilliard: 13
12. Worthington CSD: 13

Top 10 Slowest-Selling Locations by # of Days Homes Remain on the Market Before Sale in February 2021
1. Downtown Columbus: 72
2. Big Walnut LSD: 57
3. New Albany Plain LSD: 52
4. New Albany: 50
5. Grandview Heights: 48
6. Bexley: 44
7. Short North: 41
8. Circleville CSD: 40
9. German Village: 40
10. Dublin: 39
11. Granville CSD: 39

Columbus-area homes are selling at a blistering pace.



# of Days For-Sale Homes Remain on the Market Before Sale Across the Metro Overall: 26

Top 10 Locations with the Greatest % Decline of # of Days on the Market Before Sale February 2021 vs February 2020
1. Obetz: -89.5%
2. Pickerington: -83.7%
3. Pataskala: -82.1%
4. Pickerington LSD: -79.6%
5. Canal Winchester CSD: -78.0%
6. Hamilton LSD: -76.3%
7. Powell: -74.2%
8. Minerva Park: -70.4%
9. Gahanna: -68.0%
10. Groveport Madison LSD: -66.7%

Top 10 Locations with the Lowest % Decline of # of Days on the Market Before Sale February 2021 vs February 2020
1. Grandview Heights: +92.0%
2. Sunbury: +29.4%
3. Short North: +28.1%
4. Circleville CSD: +21.2%
5. Whitehall: +17.9%
6. Downtown Columbus: +16.1%
7. Worthington: +12.5%
8. New Albany Plain LSD: -3.7%
9. Jefferson LSD: -12.5%
10. Lancaster CSD: -18.4%

% Change for the # of Days Homes Remain on the Market Before Sale Across the Metro Overall: -39.5%

All this data can be confusing. Homebuyers must find the goldilocks zone of price, location and availability, and that’s difficult even in the friendliest of markets. Just because a local market may be seeing slower home sales doesn’t mean they’re affordable. Similarly, just because there’s a lot of supply doesn’t mean homes aren’t not selling out faster than they can go onto the market.

Columbus overall continues to have the most supply, but that’s far from the whole story. While the city added 830 new listings in February, only 582 were actually available for sale. This means that hundreds more homes were sold during the month than became available. The number of available homes only continued to shrink. Columbus’ entire supply would’ve sold out in just 18 days had no additional homes come up for sale.

And the thing is, nothing on the horizon indicates this situation will improve anytime soon. It’s not just that demand is drastically outweighing existing supply, though. Developers- when not faced with NIMBYism and zoning issues- are experiencing materials shortages that were exacerbated by the pandemic. Even when developers can build, they don’t always have the raw materials needed for construction. Unfortunately, these problems aren’t going to go away in the near future.

Given all of that, homebuyers have to be smart, they have to be very persistent, and they need to be prepared to spend more than originally planned.

For more information on the local market, go here to the Columbus Realtors site.



Housing Market Update January 2021




housing market update January 2021 Columbus, Ohio

The Columbus area housing market update January 2021 report is now available! Let’s be honest, the current housing market is extremely tough to navigate right now. This is true not so much for sellers, but rather buyers who are finding it nearly impossible to find a home they like at a good price in the neighborhood they want. There are relatively few homes available on the market, and those that are tend to get tangled in bidding wars that ultimately jack up the average sales price for the whole area.

The cause of this boils down to one critical problem- supply. There just aren’t enough existing homes to meet demand, nor are there nearly enough new homes being built. NIMBYism, local zoning and more issues are generally preventing increased home density in and around Columbus, keeping many potential homebuyers- and renters- struggling to find a place to live.

I haven’t done a breakdown of the Columbus real estate market in some time. Because of the current situation, I thought it would be a good time to take a fresh look.

The data below is from the January market report, the latest one available.

First, let’s look at those local areas that had the most homes for sale.

# of New Listings By County, January 2021
Franklin: 1,291
Delaware: 187
Licking: 157
Fairfield: 129
Union: 64
Pickaway: 47
Madison: 28
Morrow: 27
Perry: 20
Hocking: 16
Perhaps unsurprisingly, Franklin County has the most new listing by far.

Change of New Listings by County January 2020 vs. January 2021
Morrow: +8.0%
Fairfield: -5.8%
Licking: -6.5%
Franklin: -6.6%
Union: -7.2%
Perry: -13.0%
Madison: -20.0%
Pickaway: -23.0%
Delaware: -31.0%
Hocking: -42.9%
New listings were generally down across all but one metro county, a continuing story even before the pandemic.

Average Sales Price by County in January 2021
Delaware: $430,684
Union: $312,742
Fairfield: $265,821
Pickaway: $256,235
Franklin: $253,852
Licking: $234,116
Morrow: $232,393
Madison: $231,396
Perry: $219,053
Hocking: $208,231
All counties saw the average sale price of homes sold exceed the $200K mark, but Delaware County remains the most expensive place to buy a home in the metro.

Change in Average Sales Price by County January 2020 vs. January 2021
Perry: +53.7%
Pickaway: +36.4%
Fairfield: +25.9
Delaware: +23.5%
Franklin: +13.4%
Union: +12.0%
Madison: +9.6%
Licking: +9.0%
Morrow: +8.9%
Hocking: -7.6%
All but Hocking County saw significant year-over-year sales price increases of homes sold.

Now let’s take a look at individual communities. Which ones were the hottest in January 2021?

Local Communities/Areas by New Listings in January 2021
1. Columbus (Overall): 850
2. Columbus City School District (CSD): 579
3. South-Western CSD: 173
4. Olentangy Local School District (LSD) (Delaware): 95
5. Hilliard CSD: 92
6. Westerville CSD: 86
7. Grove City: 77
8. Dublin CSD: 68
9. Pickerington LSD: 59
10. Groveport Madison LSD (Franklin): 56
11. Worthington CSD: 51
12. Gahanna Jefferson CSD: 50
13. Newark CSD: 42
14. Lancaster CSD: 41
15. Delaware CSD: 40
16. Upper Arlington CSD: 40
17. Pataskala: 37
18. Beechwold/Clintonville: 35
19. Gahanna: 35
20. Westerville: 35
21. Hilliard: 35
22. Blacklick: 34
23. Marysville School District: 33
24. Reynoldsburg CSD: 32
25. Dublin: 31
26. Teays Valley LSD (Pickaway): 30
27. Downtown Columbus: 29
28. Pickerington: 27
29. New Albany Plain LSD: 24
30. Short North: 24
31. Big Walnut LSD (Franklin): 22
32. Powell: 22
33. Canal Winchester CSD: 19
34. London CSD: 15
35. German Village: 15
36. New Albany: 14
37. Hamilton LSD (Franklin): 14
38. Buckeye Valley LSD (Delaware: 13
39. Bexley: 11
40. Worthington: 11
41. Granville CSD: 11
42. Obetz: 8
43. Johnstown-Monroe LSD (Licking): 8
44. Circleville CSD: 7
45. Grandview Heights: 7
46. Sunbury: 7
47. Whitehall: 6
48. Jonathan Alder LSD (Madison): 6
49. Jefferson LSD (Madison: 5
50. Minverva Park: 2
51. Valleyview: 1
52. Lithopolis: 0
It’s pretty clear that the number of new listings falls off dramatically outside of Columbus proper. Only a handful of suburban areas had more than 50.



Average Sales Price January 2021, # of Homes Sold and % Change vs. January 2020
1. New Albany: $788,943: 14: +8.4%
2. New Albany Plain LSD: $669,455: 20: +10.2%
3. German Village $637,550: 10: +2.3%
4. Olentangy LSD $494,911: 96: +23.0%
5. Powell: $493,087: 11: +19.2%
6. Granville CSD: $492,045: 6: +31.3%
7. Dublin: $468,902: 37: +17.5%
8. Upper Arlington CSD: $462,594: 26: -9.2%
9. Bexley: $438,288: 13: -17.6%
10. Grandview Heights: $437,010: 6: +8.5%
11. Buckeye Valley LSD: $403,616: 20: +40.9%
12. Downtown: $384,230: 22: -36.4%
13. Dublin CSD: $378,788: 78: +11.8%
14. Johnstown-Monroe LSD: $375,598: 12: +110.8%
15. Short North: $360,830: 10: -8.7%
16. Jonathan Alder LSD: $340,887: 15: +20.7%
17. Big Walnut LSD: $337,550: 14: -8.8%
18. Gahanna Jefferson CSD: $335,621: 34: +19.7%
19. Blacklick: $325,445: 32: +39.7%
20. Sunbury: $318,980: 5: +39.1%
21. Pickerington LSD: $318,093: 40: +28.6%
22. Worthington: $316,625: 8: +7.0%
23. Teays Valley LSD: $315,316: 21: +52.5%
24. Beechwold/Clintonville: $300,780: 43: +15.4%
25. Hilliard: $297,387: 25: +0.9%
26. Worthington CSD: $294,236: 40: +17.5%
27. Pickerington: $282,044: 18: +13.0%
28. Westerville: $279,126: $279,126: -0.9%
29. Hilliard CSD: $277,377: 92: +5.9%
30. Canal Winchester CSD: $276,299: 17: +21.7%
31. Grove City: $272,378: 47: +17.8%
32. Minerva Park: $269,580: 5: +21.2%
33. Westerville CSD: $265,781: 68: -3.3%
34. Obetz: $260,825: 6: +26.4%
35. Gahanna: $255,650: 16: -2.1%
36. Marysville CSD: $254,363: 32: +17.8%
37. Hamilton LSD: $245,750: 4: +85.8%
38. Delaware CSD: $245,526: 31: +21.8%
39. Pataskala: $237,293: 18: +26.8%
40. Lithopolis: $228,125: 4: -1.4%
41. South-Western CSD: $227,266: 131: +17.9%
42. Columbus: $222,124: 761: +17.0%
43. Columbus CSD: $215,256: 507: +20.2%
44. Jefferson LSD: $210,225: 4: -35.5%
45. Reynoldsburg CSD: $203,965: 34: +9.0%
46. Lancaster CSD: $203,095: 44: +37.5%
47. Groveport Madison LSD: $194,690: 43: +30.3%
48. London CSD: $190,733: 14: +43.8%
49. Circleville CSD: $183,546: 13: +5.3%
50. Whitehall: $165,361: 11: +68.6%
51. Newark CSD: $143,241: 51: +15.9%
52. Valleyview: $120,000: 1: N/A
As stated above, most areas in the metro are priced above $200,000 for a house. Columbus overall is still one of the least expensive options. New Albany is really in a league all its own. It should be noted that many of these average price figures are based on relatively few sales. Because available inventory is so low, the average sales price is being pushed higher. However, it is certainly possible to find homes lower- and in some cases, much lower- than the average price. This is especially true in Columbus.

Finally, let’s look at how long for-sale homes actually stay on the market.

Average # of Days Listings Remain on the Market Until Sale, and % Change January 2020 to January 2021
1. Valleyview: 1: N/A No sales occurred in January 2020.
2. Gahanna: 9: -74.3%
3. Groveport Madison LSD: 9: -69.0%
4. Hamilton LSD: 9: -50.0%
5. Worthington: 9: -72.7%
6. Reynoldsburg CSD: 10: -68.8%
7. Obetz: 12: -71.4%
8. Hilliard: 13: -61.8%
9. Worthington CSD: 13: -56.7%
10. Circleville CSD: 14: -76.3%
11. Lithopolis: 14: -61.1%
12. Marysville CSD: 14: -63.2%
13. Minerva Park: 14: +133.3%
14. Pataskala: 14: -46.2%
15. New Albany: 15: -88.9%
16. New Albany Plain LSD: 15: -83.9%
17. Pickerington: 15: -71.7%
18. South-Western CSD: 15: -34.8%
19. Teays Valley LSD: 15: -58.3%
20. Canal Winchester CSD: 17: -73.0%
21. Whitehall: 17: -46.9%
22. Hilliard CSD: 18: -48.6%
23. Lancaster CSD: 18: -52.6%
24. Westerville CSD: 18: -47.1%
25. Delaware CSD: 19: -51.3%
26. Grove City: 19: -36.7%
27. Beechwold/Clintonville: 20: -53.5%
28. Columbus: 21: -30.0%
29. Westerville: 21: -27.6%
30. Newark CSD: 22: -31.3%
31. Pickerington LSD: 22: -45.0%
32. Dublin: 26: -55.9%
33. Buckeye Valley LSD: 27: -44.9%
34. Columbus CSD: 27: -18.2%
35. Dublin CSD: 27: -41.3%
36. Jefferson LSD: 27: -46.0%
37. London CSD: 27: -32.5%
38. Blacklick: 28: -12.5%
39. Grandview Heights: 28: -37.8%
40. Gahanna Jefferson CSD: 29: -23.7%
41. Johnstown Monroe LSD: 29: -12.1%
42. Sunbury: 29: +222.2%
43. Jonathan Alder LSD: 35: -10.3%
44. Short North: 35: -47.8%
45. Big Walnut LSD: 37: -54.3%
46. Bexley: 44: -18.5%
47. Upper Arlington CSD: 46: -17.9%
48. Olentangy LSD: 49: -16.9%
49. Powell: 52: -8.8%
50. Granville CSD: 54: -15.6%
51. German Village: 56: -38.5%
52. Downtown: 96: +242.9%
Only 2 places in the metro saw an increase, with the big one being Downtown. This was most likely due to a few factors- last year’s protests and the pandemic reducing demand close to Downtown jobs. I would expect it to recover somewhat this year and certainly next year. Overall, though, most places saw significant drops in how long homes lasted on the market. Given that these are averages, we know that there were plenty of instances of homes flying off the market in just a few days.

Furthermore, the actual inventory on the market is 30 days or less. This means that if no more homes became available for sale, all the homes on the market would sell out in less than a month. In many cases, the supply would run out in just a few weeks.

Certainly, all these numbers indicate that Columbus itself is still one of the best options for home buying given its lower costs and greater supply, but even there, homes are selling in just a few weeks on average. There’s really been no better time to sell in a long time, but also no worse time to buy. Hopefully, this data provides at least a little insight into the local market and where one might fight the greatest advantages in finding a home. My recommendation is to use every available resource- from realtors to social media- to aid in the search.

You can find full data reports at Columbus Realtors, and links to Columbus area resources at Columbus Links and Resources

Happy hunting!



Columbus Relocation Resources



The Short North.

Columbus has been growing steadily its entire existance. The past 10 years have seen its fastest growth ever, however.
The city is attracting new residents not just from other parts of Ohio, but from across the United States and world. 50% of its overall growth is made up by either domestic migration or immigration from other nations.

There is now a steady stream of prospective residents in search for answers about the city and metro area. Hopefully, this post provides some of those desired answers.

Let’s look at some of the most common questions and attempt to provide the necessary information.

1. What are the most desirable places to live in Columbus?
The answer to this question depends on what someone is searching for. For this question, we’ll base the answer on 5 categories- affordability, walkability, safety, schools and access to amenities. Based on these topics, here are the most-recommended urban neighborhoods.

Click on any neighborhood to find out more information.

1. The Short North, including Italian Village and Victorian Village
Arguably the heart of Columbus’ urban core, the Short North is one of the most complete Midwest urban neighborhoods outside Chicago. While it has tons of amenities and walkability, a few potential negatives include the lack of parking and higher housing costs.
2. German Village and the Brewery District
German Village is one of the largest historic districts in the United States. Its preserved 19th Century brick buildings and streets, walkable amenities and landscaped parks make it one of Columbus’ most uniquely beautiful neighborhoods. However, all that beauty can come with higher housing prices and very strict preservation rules.
3. Downtown and the Arena District
The Downtown area, which includes the Arena District, is a rapidly growing area with tons of new housing and entertainment amenities. It is very walkable and the central hub of the city’s transit system.
4. Clintonville
Located just north of the massive Ohio State Campus, Clintonville is a larger, more family-oriented neighborhood with quality housing and decent schools.
5. Merion Village, Schumacher Place, Franklinton, Weinland Park, Olde Towne East, Westgate and Old North Columbus
These neighborhoods are for those who are okay with neighborhoods in transition. They are more affordable than the top 4, but also in various stages of revitalization. These neighborhoods provide some of the best long-term investment opportunities so long as you can look past some grit.

Based on the same criteria, here are the most-recommended suburbs.

1. Dublin
This outer northwest suburb has a great mix of urban and suburban neighborhoods, with plenty of options for most tastes. Great schools and a one of the most diverse suburban populations make Dublin a popular choice. Negatives include a general lack of transit and higher housing costs.
2. Bexley
Bexley is one of the oldest inner suburbs in the city. Its attractive older homes and beautiful tree-lined streets are right out of a John Hughes film. Great schools and walkable retail corridors make this suburb highly desirable. However, negatives include high property taxes and higher housing costs.
3. Grandview Heights
Grandview is another more urban inner suburb with a great mix of quality housing stock and amenities. Schools are also very good. Negatives include a very tight housing market that make finding a home difficult, along with higher costs.
4. Upper Arlington
This inner suburb is well known for its terrific schools and quality of life. It is more suburban in nature than other inner suburbs, and therefore a negative is its general lack of walkability to amenities. The cost of housing is generally higher.
5. Westerville
Westerville is a northern, outer traditional suburb. Positives include a nice, walkable downtown area and much less expensive housing the other suburbs on the list.

This list of urban and suburban places is just a starter list and is not to be limiting.

2. What are the best ways to find somewhere to live?
Beyond going with a realtor or doing internet searches, the best way to find somewhere to live is to visit your preferred neighborhood. Some house and apartments may not be advertised online, specifically those sales being managed by the owner. Another potential way is to visit local neighborhood social media sites to see if anyone has advertised their home or apartment. With the extremely fast-moving Columbus market, thinking outside the box can be beneficial.

As for more traditional ways of finding a house or apartment, here are some helpful resources.
The Columbus Land Bank Center
Columbus Realtors
Zillow
Realtor

3. What are some resources to help immigrate to Columbus from another country?
Because immgration is a large part of Columbus’ growth, resources for immigrants are also readily available. Here are some of the most useful for prospective and recent immigrants to Columbus.
Community Refugee and Immigraton Services
New Americans Initiative
US Citizenship and Immigration Services

4. Where can I find more information about the city and its quality of life?
For many more links on Columbus activities, local government, schools and much more, check out the Columbus Links and Resources




Housing Market Update January 2017




housing market update January 2017 Columbus, Ohio

The recent housing market update January 2017 edition information comes from Columbus Realtors.

Note: LSD= Local School District, CSD= City School District. In both cases, school district boundaries differ from city boundaries.

Top 15 Most Expensive Locations By Median Sales Price in January 2017
1. New Albany: $535,000
2. New Albany Plain LSD: $397,450
3. German Village: $376,000
4. Powell: $354,950
5. Dublin: $343,600
6. Granville CSD: $330,000
7. Bexley: $325,000
8. Upper Arlington CSD: $319,500
9. Olentangy LSD: $315,000
10. Big Walnut LSD: $306,250
11. Dublin CSD: $271,500
12. Worthington: $270,000
13. Buckeye Valley LSD: $259,000
14. Sunbury: $253,000
15. Downtown: $243,750

Top 15 Least Expensive Locations by Median Sales Price in January 2017
1. Obetz: $80,100
2. Hamilton LSD: $80,100
3. Whitehall: $85,950
4. Newark CSD: $86,900
5. Lancaster CSD: $103,000
6. Jefferson LSD: $123,000
7. London CSD: $124,000
8. Groveport Madison LSD: $125,900
9. Reynoldsburg CSD: $125,950
10. Columbus CSD: $129,900
11. South-Western CSD: $131,000
12. Columbus: $140,026
13. Jonathan Alder LSD: $150,000
14. Minerva Park: $159,500
15. Grove City: $160,950

Overall Market Median Sales Price in January 2017: $160,368
Median Sales Price Change January 2016-January 2016: +$3,172

Top 15 Locations with the Highest Median Sales Price % Growth Between January 2016 and January 2017
1. Whitehall: +69.5%
2. Circleville CSD: +64.9%
3. Sunbury: +63.0%
4. Jefferson LSD: +53.5%
5. Big Walnut LSD: +44.1%
6. Canal Winchester CSD: +40.9%
7. Westerville: +29.8%
8. Westerville CSD: +27.3%
9. Powell: +25.4%
10. Pataskala: +24.0%
11. Olentangy LSD: +23.5%
12. Gahanna Jefferson CSD: +21.8%
13. Grandview Heights: +21.2%
14. Granville CSD: +20.0%
15. Pickerington: +17.7%

Top 15 Locations with the Lowest Median Sales Price % Growth Between January 2016 and January 2017
1. London CSD: -53.5%
2. Obetz: -38.3%
3. Hamilton LSD: -27.1%
4. Jonathan Alder LSD: -25.2%
5. Buckeye Valley LSD: -23.0%
6. Reynoldsburg CSD: -18.7%
7. Hilliard: -17.7%
8. Lancaster CSD: -17.6%
9. Grove City: -15.3%
10. Dublin CSD: -12.8%
11. Johnstown-Monroe LSD: -10.8%
12. Upper Arlington CSD: -8.5%
13. Newark CSD: -8.1%
14. Dublin: -7.1%
15. South-Western CSD: -6.4%

Overall Market Median Sales Price % Change January 2016-January 2017: +2.0%

Top 10 Locations with the Most New Listings in January 2017
1. Columbus: 829
2. Columbus CSD: 544
3. South-Western CSD: 136
4. Olentangy LSD: 122
5. Westerville CSD: 100
6. Hilliard CSD: 94
7. Dublin CSD: 89
8. Worthington CSD: 66
9. Dublin: 64
10. Pickerington LSD: 60

Top 10 Locations with the Fewest New Listings in January 2017
1. Valleyview: 0
2. Lithopolis: 1
3. Minerva Park: 2
4. Sunbury: 2
5. Obetz: 3
6. Johnstown Monroe LSD: 5
7. Jefferson LSD: 8
8. Jonathan Alder LSD: 8
9. German Village: 8
10. Hamilton LSD: 8
11. Northridge LSD: 9

Total New Listings in the Columbus Metro in January 2017: 2,002
Overall Metro New Listings % Change January 2016-January 2017: -1.9%

Top 10 Fastest-Selling Locations by # of Days Homes Remain on the Market Before Sale in January 2017
1. Obetz: 18
2. Sunbury: 21
3. Pataskala: 22
4. Jefferson LSD: 26
5. Gahanna: 28
6. Minerva Park: 28
7. Delaware CSD: 29
8. Bexley: 31
9. Hilliard CSD: 31
10. Pickerington: 31
11. Worthington CSD: 31

Top 10 Slowest-Selling Locations by # of Days Homes Remain on the Market Before Sale in January 2017
1. Dublin: 96
2. New Albany: 93
3. Dublin CSD: 82
4. Powell: 80
5. Granville CSD: 79
6. Olentangy LSD: 78
7. Downtown: 77
8. Grandview Heights: 76
9. New Albany Plain LSD: 68
10. Canal Winchester CSD: 67
11. New Albany CSD: 65
12. Upper Arlington CSD: 62
13. Circleville CSD: 61
14. Johnstown Monroe LSD: 61
15. Hamilton LSD: 60

# of Days For-Sale Homes Remain on the Market Before Sale Across the Metro Overall: 51.6
Change in # of Days Before Sale January 2016-January 2017: -22.0



Top 10 Locations with the Greatest % Decline of # of Days on the Market Before Sale January 2016-January2017
1. Obetz: -89.2%
2. Pataskala: -64.5%
3. Whitehall: -64.3%
4. Circleville CSD: -56.1%
5. Gahanna: -53.3%
6. Grove City: -49.2%
7. Delaware CSD: -44.2%
8. Bexley: -40.4%
9. Pickerington LSD: -39.7%
10. Worthington CSD: -38.0%

Top 10 Locations with the Lowest % Decline of # of Days on the Market Before Sale January 2016-January 2017
1. German Village: +161.1%
2. Worthington: +123.8%
3. Powell: +77.8%
4. Grandview Heights: +46.2%
5. Big Walnut LSD: +41.5%
6. Minerva Park: +40.0%
7. Jonathan Alder LSD: +37.8%
8. Canal Winchester CSD: +31.4%
9. Marysville CSD: +28.3%
10. Johnstown Monroe LSD: +27.1%

% Change for the # of Days Homes Remain on the Market Before Sale Across the Metro Overall: -29.9%